Legend of the Zebra-Striped Kit
by Sivilian
Summary: Zebrakit and her sister, Honeykit, are the daughters of Specklefrost and Denmarkflare of Windclan. Zebrakit is known for her blue eyes, black stripes on her white fur, and her honey-dipped tail. Unfortunately, she has a weak heart. Two apprentices, a rogue, and an apprentice from another clan. Sometimes, she feels like a bad luck charm.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Warriors.  
****Denmarkflare might remind you of someone if you like Hetalia.**

Silvertooth walked along the border of the Windclan territory with the patrol. The morning sun cast golden hues across the grassy fields. He nudged Denmarkflare, a former kittypet, out of his daydreams. The patrol continued on the very boring route. Nothing happened to Denmarkflare's disappointment.

"I was really hoping for some action!" The bright gold tom told his fellow warriors as they padded back into camp.

The silver deputy's ears twitched with annoyance, "Well, _we_ weren't! It's good when nothing out of the sorts happens on a patrol."

Silvertooth and the other warriors shook their heads and went somewhere that Denmarkflare wasn't.

The blue-eyed blond watched the other warriors go to the dirt-place, the den, the nursery, the fresh-kill pile, and some even went to the elders' den. He never noticed the distrusting stares the other cats cast at him. He was a good warrior in his mind.

The former kittypet tom slipped through the sea of grass. None of the other cats were out hunting. He wanted to try to catch a rabbit. But he was never taught how to catch food.

He crouched down in the grass like he had seen an apprentice do. _When will I get an apprentice? I totally deserve one! _He sniffed the cool air. Something smelled. He didn't really know if it was a rabbit, but it most likely was. Maybe.

The tom pounced out of hiding and landed where he thought the smelly thing was also hiding.

"Mathias!" A white she-cat yowled.

Denmarkflare had a silly grin on his face, "I'm not Mathias anymore, Specklefrost!"

She rolled her eyes and pushed her paws on his chest to get out from under him.

"I thought you were a rabbit!" He explained, trying to lick her ruffled pelt.

She jumped away from his tongue, "I _did _catch one earlier."

He jumped closer, "You should teach me how!" His tongue was sticking out as he spoke.

"You're twenty-five moons old! You can't be an apprentice." The she-cat laughed. _Wait. Can he?_

...

The moon was a sliver in the night sky. Specklefrost looked up at the stars, her sleek pelt was ruffled by the chilling breeze. Denmarkflare, the silly cat who had chosen his own name, had hardly been in the clan for a single moon. She needed to talk to Sproutstar.

She padded quietly into the burrow. The leader was rubbing her forehead.

"Sproutstar, hello." The white speckled cat greeted the tan she-cat with tired eyes.

"Hello," the leader yawned, "Specklefrost." The cat had flecks of plant stuck in her fur. Poor Sprout star didn't have a mate to clean her pelt after a long day of leading.

She began to pull burrs out of her leader's fur, "I have to talk to you about..." She wondered what she came here for. Like she had just had a lapse. She felt the prickles of grassy burrs clinging to her pelt. At least it was too dark for her leader to see, hopefully.

"...Denmarkflare." They said in unison.

The leader laughed, "Is the kittypet bothering you too much?"

"No, and he isn't really a kittypet." Specklefrost was fond of the overzealous tom. "But he isn't really a warrior."

"Then what is he?" The leader cocked her head.

"Well, he's really more of a kit. I think he should be an apprentice."

"Denmarkpaw?" Sproutstar had watery eyes from laughter. "Oh dear! He's worse than I thought he'd be."

"Me, too." Specklefrost whispered.

Specklefrost had met Denmarkflare a few moons ago. He had strayed way, way, way, way far from his twoleg's home to become a warrior like Specklefrost. His name had been Mathias back then. He was a loud tom. He was one of the few kittypets that hadn't seen the cutter. Specklefrost could tell that he might make a good warrior if the medicine cat put some bindweed over his jaws.

"Well, I was considering giving you Leafkit, but you should teach Denmarkflare the ways of a warrior."

"Oh! Okay!" No warrior in the entire clan wanted to train Leafkit. That kit was almost as annoying as Denmarkflare. At least the golden tom was the better kind of annoying. "Sounds good."

"Okay, then. Leave please. I am oddly exhausted." Sproutstar blinked to keep herself from falling asleep.

"Yes, Sproutstar." She chuckled and left the den.

"But he won't get the apprentice ceremony..." Sproutstar called out to her, "So he won't be humiliated..." She fell asleep.

Specklefrost took a deep breathe. White puffs swirled around her. It was almost leaf-bare. Poor Denmarkflare had never been outside with his paws in the snow in leaf-bare.

...

Denmarkflare was surprisingly the first warrior awoke every morning. He was about to shout 'good morning Windclan!', but a few anticipating hisses sealed his voice.

He snuck out of the warm den and into the crisp air. None of the other cats were up yet. Or maybe they weren't dumb enough to leave the warmth of the dens before the sun even cast light in the sky. Either way, he was up. And that's that.

He padded over to the fresh-kill pile. He liked the chill of the crispy, cool air. He was about to pick up a scrawny mouse when a vole hit him square in the nose.

The dazed tom lifted his gaze up to a white she-cat. She had black specks around her ears and thin, alomst stripe-like black splotches on her back. Her eyes were as blue as his own.

"Mat-" She corrected herself, "Denmarkflare. We have lots of training to do!"

During training...

Specklefrost tried to teach him how to fight. But the silly tom could hardly stand up on his hind legs. He wasn't fat or anything. He just wasn't coordinated correctly. She kept trying to not call him Mathias. Specklefrost had visited him a lot. Well, more like spied on him more often than actually being with him. She remembered the surprise in his voice when she invited him to become a warrior.

_The she-cat jumped onto the twoleg's fence. Mathias had been telling her what the twoleg's called all of their strange items and what they did. 'Fence' sounded silly, but it did the trick to keep unwanted visitors away. Unless they were skilled warriors, of course. Specklefrost felt the chill of the night set in. She waited for the kittypet tom to be released from the of the den to go to his dirt-place. He finally came out. Instead of going to his dirt-place, he crawled under the fence. Specklefrost jumped down and scared him. He didn't even know she was there!_

_"Hello! Specklefrost!" Mathias rubbed his head against hers._

_"Mathias, personal space please!" The she-cat didn't smelling like a twoleg's kittypet._

_"Sorry, Specklefrost!" The tom seemed to say her name a lot._

_"My leader," She was going to tell him exciting news, "Spr-"_

_"Sproutstar! Yes, you told me about her!"_

_"...My leader, Sproutstar, says that you can come be a warrior in Windclan."_

_The tom's cyan eyes were bigger than a cobnut. His smile was longer than a foxtail. He pinned down Specklefrost. That was one reason why she thought he could be a warrior. Not many cats could pin her down._

_"Yes, you can be a warrior." She repeated laughing._

_"My name will be Denmarkflare!" He announced, still holding her down, "I've been thinking of that name for a month now... A month is a moon."_

_"Okay, okay, just get off me." She grinned and faked coughed._

The unteachable tom tried to chase a rabbit, but even though he was a very speedy cat, he could not catch it! Instead, he overshot it and couldn't figure out were it went. He trotted back to her, disappointed. She shook her head and chuckled.

"Maybe we can try again tomorrow." She shrugged.

"You think the rabbit will still be there?" He scanned the grassy field one more time.

"Yes, unless another warrior or an apprentice goes hunting tonight."

"I can't believe we've been training since dawn!" He lifted his head to the twilight sky.

"You wore me out, Mathias." She sighed, "I mean... Denmarkflare." His name was such a mouthful.

"I don't mind you still calling me Mathias." The yellow tom told her, "But only you and no one cat else."

"Okay, Mathias." The name semed to suit him a little better than his 'warrior' name.

They sat down by the fresh-kill pile. She scarfed down twice as much as usual. He backed up at her appetite. Was he really that hard to train? The tom skipped his meal and retired to the den for the night. He was soooo exhausted!

Specklefrost ate a few mice before taking an evening walk around the camp. Quailflight, the medicine cat, nudged her. The brown tom with white flecks on his flank was the most handsome tom around. She remembered when they were apprentices. She and the other she-cat apprentices were upset at how he was the medicine apprentice. But she had grown way out of it and noticed what a sour attitude he sometimes, most of the time actually, would have.

"Specklefrost," He began slowly, "you are going to kit soon."

...

Specklfrost laid down in his nest in the medicine den. She had her paws over her eyes. He kept giving her herbs to calm down, but Quailflight had to resolve by holding her head in his own paws.

"Listen, Specklefrost." His amber eyes gave her a calming gaze, "You seem to be a moon and a half away. Maybe even less than that."

She shook her head. _Mathias... _She did spend a lot of time with Mathias when he was still a kittypet. He was, after all, the most handsome tom next to Quailflight. Even if he was just a dumbly kittypet. She remembered how Quailflight had been her closest friend (despite his sour nature) when she met Denmarkflare. Specklefrost didn't like how the other she-cats were too busy gossiping over the news from the other clans they got from when they went to the gatherings. Maybe it was because she never went to the gatherings while the others did... She remembered why she couln't come. Specklefrost always tried to tear the whiskers off her betraying sister, Spottedwing, who now lives in Shadowclan.

Quailflight's voice shook her from her memories, "Just take it easy, Specklefrost." His eyes seemed to soften.

He helped her up and out of the den. The gentle tom asked her where she wanted to sleep. Any soon-to-be mother would choose the nursery. But she wanted to stay a warrior as long as possible. She wanted to keep her little bundle of surprises secret.

"How long can I hide it?" She asked him quietly, looking around for any latenight eavesdroppers.

"Not long if you keep eating like that." He told her he'd noticed the sudden binges and how often she hunted and didn't bring back anything.


	2. Chapter 2

Denmarkflare woke up. It wasn't even dawn. The moon had yet to set beyond the sky. He turned his head around. Specklefrost usually slept far away from him. But he couldn't seem to find her. In fact, he was alone in the warriors' den. His ears perked up. What if he was alone? Abandoned? The tom ran out of the den and into the night light. He heard the familiar pants of Specklefrost very faintly.

He sneaked over to the source. She seemed to be in the nursery. A lot of the warriors that should be asleep were staring at him, puzzled at why he was being sneaky. He apologized and explained he didn't know where anyone was and he had not even seen them waiting by the entrance of the nursery.

Denmarkflare heard the painful gasps and held in screams from Specklefrost. Specklefrost was having babies. Specklefrost was having babies? **_SPECKLEFROST IS HAVING BABIES?! _**Denmarkflare tumbled into the nursery.

Greymoth, Fuzzyfur, and the other queens and their kits gave Quailflight and Specklefrost space.

"Just a little more, Specklefrost." Quailflight reassured her.

"Sp-Specklefrost?" The tongue-tied tom had never been lost for words, but he was now.

"Mathias!" And with one last push, two kits were born.

...

In the far corner of the nursery, after congratulations from the leader, deputy, the warriors, apprentices, and the other residents of the nursery, Quailflight, Denmarkflare, and Specklefrost and her two kits sat quietly.

"They look healthy. They may need some coltsfoot in the morning if their breathing becomes labored, but other than that they're fine." Quailflight closed his eyes. "Congrats, Specklefrost." He left the nursery.

"Specklefrooost?" Denmarkflare looked at her then the kits then her again.

"Kits. What do ya know." She beamed.

"And you're the mother?" What a stupid question! The she-cat nodded licking the two kits over and over again, "Aaand the father is...?"

She looked up at him and nodded.

The new father had spiked fur. He scanned the kits before accepting them. One was white with stripes. It had a yellow tipped tail. The other was brown with yellow and white flecks on the back.

Denmarkflare nodded, then smiled, then began licking them. The brown one mewed visiously and crawled for cover under Specklefrost. The striped one greeted him back with happy mews.

"Oh, dear. We have to name them!" The queen purred.

_Why didn't she tell me? _"This white one here looks like a zebra!"

"Zebra?" She raised a brow. Another kittypet term?

"A zebra is a horse. Do you know what horses look like?" She nodded so he continued, "A zebra is a horse with black stripes all over its body."

"Then Zebrakit it is!" The mother purred, not caring about zebras, but the name sounded good.

Zebrakit mewed happily and tried to split in half so she could be in her mother's paws and her father's paws at the same time. Denmarkflare scooted closely to Specklefrost so the kit could be in both their paws. The unnamed kit howled angrily.

"She looks like a burnt little leaf to me," He said, "And a little like a fuzzy mud ball. So maybe Burntkit or Mudkit?"

The kit roared in disagreement.

Specklefrost looked at it, "How about Honeykit? Her flecks... look... like... the same color as honey!"

The angry kit nodded. It liked that name. Honeykit.

They rolled the its over. Both little she-cats. They both figured that they were by how Honeykit agreed to the name and the female-ish mews that Zebrakit gifted their ears with.

...

Zebrakit and Honeykit slept soundly by their beautiful mother. Well, the queen and the brown kit was sleeping soundly. Zebra kit was being squished by her larger sister. The white kit clawed her way out from under her sister. Her eyes twitched rapidly. She was excited to see what her mother had been telling her and Honeykit about. The sky, the grass, their father, their clan. Zebrakit really wanted to see what her powerful sister looked like. She longed for her sense to see. Did fuzz look the way it feels? Did the wind look like the way it brushes past through the nursery? Did the clan look the way they sound?

Zebrakit stifled her urge to mew for warmth. She didn't like being crushed by Honeykit, but she didn't like to be in the open where it was cold. Finally, the kit couldn't stand the eye twitching any longer. Her eyelids eased open. She shut them tightly. Her head throbbed. All the colors and shapes! She opened them slowly. The first thing she saw was Specklefrost. She could hear her breathing. Her chest was falling up and down. It did look like the way it sounded! Zebra it crawled to her sister. She was bigger than her, just like she had suspected.

Specklefrost blinked her eyes open. She turned her head and smiled. She got a good look at Zebrakit's wide, cyan eyes. The queen shook her head. Her kit's eyes were really open!

"Zebrakit! You have such beautiful eyes!" She nuzzled the beaming kit.

"Thank you, Mother." Her smile was longer than her honey-dipped tail.

In all of the excitement, Zebrakit took a good, long look of the nursery before drifting into another sleep.

...

Denmarkflare's face was pressed up close to Zebrakit's. Her black stripes stood on end. That was her 'handsome' father? He backed away, laughing. He looked better from a distance. She was dazed at how her parents towered over her. She noticed that Specklefrost and her father both had the same blazing eyes. They were blue. That's what she thought that color was called. Her mother said that in the color blue, there were more colors. It seemed confusing, but the color inside blue was called cyan. The three cats hdthe same cyan eyes.

Many of the clan's cats came to steal a glimpse of Zebrakit's gorgeous eyes. At one point, so many cats were in the cozy den that Honeykit couldn't help but be jealous.

Her eyes twitched furiously. Why was her sister's eyes so special? Her squeezed-shut eyes burst open at the sound of her father boasting the brilliance of the blue she inherited.

"Look at me?" She howled, "My eyes are open."

Everyone was still gazing into Zebrakit's shining orbs, but at least her mother noticed.

Her cyan eyes met the bland and ordinary yellow, "Wonderful! Just like your anscestors!"

Honeykit huffed. She always made sure to have everyone's attention on her. She liked it better when their eyes were closed. They had all said what a nice pelt she had, and never said much about the stripes on her sister's back.

Honeykit sulked to the corner of the nursery where they slept most of the day. Then it hit her. The colors. The shapes. The light.


	3. Chapter 3

Zebrakit licked her fur until it glistened like morning dew. The white kit tended to her claws. She bit carefully, pulling out the specks of dirt, but not damaging the perfect hooks. She raised her paws to rub the sleepiness out of her eyes. She looked at herself in puddles sometimes as any cat would. But she didn't really feel the need to admire them, her eyes, so much.

Honeykit licked her own pelt in a way that could've ripped a thousand burs off a porcupine. She spit on her claws to give them a shine and was ready to start the day. Her puzzled sister wondered how the brown kit was content on letting the color of her fur make up for the dirt and grass that covered it.

A sandy tom who was three moons old, less than a half moon older than the two sisters, invited them for a game of grass ball. His name was Burrkit, and his mother was Fuzzyfur. He rolled them two tangled and knotted balls of grass. Zebrakit hooked her claws in the bigger one that rolled closer to her. She was about to toss it in the air and bat it, but Honeykit ripped the ball from her grasp and kicked her sister the smaller, less perfect ball.

Zebrakit felt a little hurt, but gave Burrkit a big smile.

"Watch this," the tan tom tossed his ball up in the air and swatted in between paws for several moments before it bounced off his head and onto the cool den floor.

Zebrakit was impressed. She dug her claws in the ball and tossed it up in the air. It dove back down to the ground along with her paw.

"Looks like I need to work on that." Zebrakit chuckled.

She looked up at her sister who wore an impatient smirk. It turned from a smirk to a scowl. Honeykit tossed it up into the air and slashed at it until the blades of grass showered all three kits.

"Now that's real skill." Honeykit declared.

"Ugh." Zebrakit and Burrkit sputtered at the same time. Honeykit wasn't fun to play with... when Zebrakit was around.

Honeykit went over to the other kits, Bladekit, Sandkit, and Prickkit, and began bossing them around.

Zebrakit and Burrkit snuck out of the nursery and sat in a cool patch of soft, tender grass. He sighed. He didn't like how Honeykit was so bossy and mean. Zebrakit told him that she was actually really nice. But he seemed to now that too. But what he really didn't like is how she treated even the older kits like underlings. It was a really intense conversation. Most kits never spoke of things like that until they were almost apprentices.

Denmarkflare nuzzled them back into the nursery.

...

Specklefrost was a brave warrior and she was very strong. She tried to teach a few hunting positions to her kits a bit early so they'd have an edge as apprentices. Honeykit practiced on Sandkit. It made Fuzzyfur isolate the poor sandy tom from the sisters. And Zebrakit really liked his timid stature. Zebrakit was more interested in stories than training. When her mother was tired of telling stories, she'd trot to the elders.

"Fallentree? May I hear a story? " the striped kit asked the brown tabby tom.

"Of course, Zebrakit." He smiled a broken smile, "Which one? The battle of the prairie, or the clouds over the four trees?"

"Four trees!" Specklefrost had never told her about the sacred gathering spot, so of course the four trees!

The elderly tabby told her a story of how Windclan was blamed by Riverclan for killing an apprentice. Of course, the Windclan cats defended themselves. A big argument broke out, and Thunder clan and Shadowclan remained neutral. Clouds began to form over the moon. And then thunder rolled its bell in the sky. Finally, a Shadowclan apprentice stepped up and revealed she had killed the Riverclan apprentice, not Windclan. In the end, Windclan and Riverclan killed the apprentice on the spot, but Zebrakit learned that honesty at the start would have helped Ashpaw.

...

The kit stretched in the sunlight. Her stripes began to stretch longer on her sides as she grew. A few of her whiskers were black and made it look like she had thin stripes along her face. She was almost six moons old. Honeykit couldn't wait to become a warrior, but Zebrakit would rather spend a few more moons with Fallentree, Hookclaw, the other elder, and her parents in the nursery and listen to stories.

Her thoughts of longing to stay a kit were cut short with Sproutstar announcing a clan meeting. The zebra-striped kit spotted Burrkit. He was excited and was ready to pounce out of his fur. His siblings ran ahead of him. Specklefrost and Mathias were ushering Honeykit and motioned Zebrakit to follow them to the small rock hill where Sproutstar sat.

"Bladekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bladepaw. Your mentor will be Thornslope. I hope Thornslope will pass down all he knows on to you."

The tabby ginger with grass-green eyes hopped up next to the leader. The brown tabby tom named Thornslope joined them, "Thrownslope, you are ready to train an apprentice. You had received wonderful training from Fallentree, and you have shown yourself to have trust and companionship with the clan. I hope you will pass down all you know to Bladepaw." Finally, all of the clan's cats were gathered around them. Bladepaw felt a little upset that Sproutstar didn't wait.

Zebrakit noticed Burrkit squirming, knowing he'd get his ceremony soon.

Sandkit became Sandpaw, and his mentor became Meadowbreeze. Meadowbreeze was a cute white she-cat with grey spots on her back and sides. Prickkit became Prickpaw. His mentor became Figflight. Figflight was a green tortie tom.

Finally, Fuzzyfur nudged Burrkit up towards their leader. He was shaking like a leaf, but with excitement. The little tom hoped his mentor would be one of the good warriors. Like Goldenfang or Twofur. Two fur and Goldenfang were both the littermates of Silvertooth. Burrpaw touched his nose briefly to Bubblebounce, a very crazy and energetic tom who was all play and no work.

Then the leader continued, "Zebrakit," the clan was surprised, "you have not reached the age of six moons, but you have proven yourself mature and focusable. Because of this, you will be apprenticed early. Your mentor shall be Twofur." Zebrakit watched the gold and ash she-cat pad up to them smiling. Zebrakit was most pleased that Twofur's mentor had been Hookclaw.

The clan expected Honeykit to recieve a mentor as well, but she didn't. Zebrapaw looked to the other side Sproutstar where Quailflight seemed to be seething. The same expression flushed Honeykit's face. But pride filled Specklefrost and Denmarkflare, at least until they noticed their other kit's silent tantrum. Zebrapaw, and Sandpaw, were both relieved that they didn't have to share one more night with Honeykit.

" Bladepaw! Sandpaw! Prickpaw! Burrpaw! Zebrapaw!" With every repeated cheer whooped by the clan, Honeykit's resentment towards her sister grew. But anger is just temporary insanity. Right?

**Sorry, that tthe story is been rushed. It will slow down! In a good way...**

**I do not own Warriors. **

**These are all random cats that I make up, so if you have an OC, describe them and I'll somehow incorporate them.**

**Name:**

**Rank:**

**Gender:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Best Friend:**

**Crush:**


	4. Chapter 4

Her fur glistened with pride. Her whiskers twitched with excitement. Her honey-dipped tail rippled with the wind. She hoped Twofur would be a kind cat. She looked out to the Windclan cats. Her mother, the elders, her father, the other queens, the warriors, her sister. Her sister was ripping fur angrily out of Jaywing's pelt. The surprised tom hopped away distressed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The five new apprentices yawned and stretched. The day had been filled and hinted with a little surprise. Prickpaw sneezed furiously at the motes of dust that floated in the longtime vacant den.

Zebrapaw giggled at the way his whiskers quivered and how Sandpaw nearly latched onto the ceiling. Bladepaw rolled his eyes. But he winked at Zebrapaw.

It gave her shudders. What did that mean? A wink?

Zebrapaw turned around. Burrpaw as staring at her tripes. Her ears must have blazed red like Redleaf's fur.

The five didn't talk much. And Zebrapaw didn't like the winking and the staring. She huffed and tried to make a nest. The four brothers had already finished theirs. When she started to go get more dry grass, Burrpaw and Bladepaw both tumbled over each other to finish it for her.

Her cyan eyes twinkled with the sudden attention. Burrpaw and Bladepaw melted.

Tired, Zebrapaw slumped into her nest. The two other toms were already sleeping, but the two standing over her both tried to drag their nests close to hers. Bladepaw's black nose was shiny with dampness and his whiskers were sharp. His sandy body gave way to dark ginger paws. It was an interesting pelt overall. His fur was a medium length that became ruffled when he slid into his nest and instantly fell asleep. Burrpaw was a deeper ginger. He was really more yellow actually. There were slightly darker spots on his back that looked like burrs in hiding. Zebrapaw was glad that toms fell asleep so easily. Their admiration for her was sudden. It exhausted her! They didn't really act like that in the nursery. Maybe they had spent too much time talking his Gentlevoice, the elder that supposedly gave the best romantic advice of all the clans.

.-.-.-

The last few drops of moonlight broke away to the drops off falling water. It was the end of newleaf, and the night air smelled moist with vegetation. Zebrapaw wished she had given her parents a better farewell. It was just moving dens and they'd see each other often, but without Mathias and Specklefrost, the dusty den would smell of arrogant toms.

She couldn't even get a simple nap. Maybe it was the excitement? Maybe it was the tolling thunder? Maybe it was the harsh splatter drops that crept into the den? The little she-cat paced the den. She wasn't tired. She sharpened her claws. She wasn't tired. She ran around in the rain and plopped down into her nest. She wasn't tired. She was wet. Zebrapaw licked her pelt dry. Noticing her fur getting longer, she noticed her tail. Zebrapaw had never really noticed the golden tip of her tail. It came from Mathias for sure. And the black splotches, which are really stripes? Definitely Specklefrost. Fallentree had told her as a small kit that Spottedwng, her mother's sister, had a single stripe on her back that looked like the several that she had.

If Zebrapaw had a strong family resemblance, then why did Honeykit look like a white she-kit with golden spots that rolled around in the mud? The thought of her sister and her clean pelt unlocked the sleepiness in her mind. Finally, she fell asleep. Even with the tolling thunder outside... and the obnoxious snoring of the toms.

-.-.-..-.-.-.-...

Zebrapaw blinked her bright blue eyes in the predawn light. Nothing in the clan stirred. She was just a morning cat. Like her father. She stretched and yawned the sleepiness away. Avoiding the obstacle of the apprentices' tails and paws, she trotted out into the dark sky and the muddy earth. Her father's bright, golden coat stood out against the dark, sleepy world. A little breeze was blowing through camp. Little crispy leaves bounced over the earht

"Father! Mathias! Denmarkflare!" She called out all the names others had callen him. Except for kittypet.

He had a patch of fur missing and small scratch marks along his front left leg. But his smile was brighter than the early morning stars.

"How was Twofur's first impression?" Her father asked. Denmarkflare seemed tired. He had dark circles around his eyes. His fur wasn't properly groomed.

''Twofur seems alright. She said that training and stuff starts in the morning." Zebrapaw looked around, and no cat was in sight.

"You're just like me! An early riser!" Denmarkflare patted Zebrapaw's head and licked her ears.

Giggling, she shushed her father, "I think the other cats would like to stay asleep."

"Just like your mother." His cyan eyes blazed with pride.

She smiled, Zebrapaw had never gotten very much attention because Honeykit was always making a fuss, "How did you get those scratches?"

He lifted up his paw, "Oh these? Your sister got mad last night."

Denmarkflare was the only tom to spend every night with his mate and kit in the nursery. He never slept I the warriors' den. Always with Specklefrost.

Zebrapaw wanted so badly to be in the nursery with her parents. They both noticed the first specks of sunlight that made their pelts glow.

"You better get going, Zeebs!" Mathias told her, usng his silly kittypet-like nickname.

"Okay, Mattie." She purred and bounded back to the apprentices' den. Today would be the best day yet!


	5. Chapter 5

Zebrapaw sat by the entrance of the den. The sunlight crept into the den, exposing the clouds of dusts that swirled around and seemed to make Prickpaw sneeze in his sleep. She cleaned herself extra. One, because she was trying to be patient. And two, it was a good habit of hygiene.

Finally, Silvertooth came to the den. He nearly fell over in shock that the she-cat was already waiting. And that her blue eyes seemed to glow with the soft touch of sunlight.

"An early riser like your father?" He chuckled.

"Yes, sir!"

Silvertooth grinned, "Let's wake up these toms."

He cruelly woke the toms with surprise. Sandpaw, jumped up so high he could've been mistaken for a ginger bird. Prickpaw grinned guiltly, knowing that he had slept in. Zebrapaw brushed her tail lightly over Bladepaw's eyes. They fluttered open. His emerald eyes were glassy. Then he jumped up like Sandpaw had as Silvertooth lightly swiped his flank. Burrpaw stretched, the noise had woken him up. He had the best awakening of the four.

They all went over to the fresh-kill pile and waitd for Sproutstar and their mentors. The deputy looked around the camp, and Zebrapaw knew smething was up. Sproutstar ran into the camp, dragging Twofur. She was limp and bloody.

They all gasped, but Silvertooth choked. His sister was dead. Sproutstar and Silvertooth left the five confused apprentices and went to rouse the warriors to kill the intrudimg badger. A morning badger was the worst kind.

Zebrapaw walked slowly to the dead she-cat. That was her mentor. Now what? Her steps were slow and her paws dragged. Her eyes were misty with confusion.

"Twofur? I didn't now you, but I bet you would be the best mentor ever." She talked to the dead warrior.

Bladepaw and Burrpaw stood on either side of her, as if protecting her from something horrible. Zebrapaw had Specklefrost's greif and emotionality. Both of the toms wrapped their tail around her to comfort her. She buriedd her head in the fur of the tom on her right, Bladepaw.

Quailflight padded over, glaring at Zebrapaw like she was the one who killed Twofur. He dragged the warrior towards the clan ceremony, leaving all the apprentices gaping.

"That was rude..." Prickpawcocked his head.

"Quailflight?" Zebrapaw called after him softly.

He turned around with glaring eyes, "What?"

''...I..." she choked. Why couldn't speak to their medicine cat normally? Why was he dragging Twofur with such disrespect? Why was he always mean to her?

-.-.-.-.-

Sproutstar delayed the new apprentices' training.

The clan gathered at the cemetery in front of Twofur's corpse. One by one, they shared tongues with her for the last time.

"You were too amazing for my words..." Silvertooth was first to say goodbye. He lowered his voice and no one but his deceased sister could hear.

Goldenfang brushed her tail over sister and in very soft voices, she retold a quick story from when they were kits to her and said farewell. Sproutstar told her what a wonderful and loyal warrior she had been. Lacepool, a she-cat with a silvery spotted pelt and blue eyes that were hinted with twilight violet, told her mother how much she loved her and padded past Zebrapaw with teary eyes.

"Zebrapaw," she choked through tears and, yet, tranquility, "You would have been so lucky."

Zebrapaw stared at the leapord-furred cat. Her eyes were a bit blue like Silvertooth and Goldenfang, and flecks of purple must have been a special trait sent by Starclan

"I know, Lacepool." Zebrapaw tried to smile, but a sad feeling welled in her stomach, "You were lucky, too."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Zebrapaw collapsed in her nest as the dusk went down to night. She felt horrible. Bladepaw asked if she had eaten a bad mouse, and Burrpaw shot his brother a glare.

"She is obviously sad that one of Windclan's own has died to today." Burrpaw sat by her and stroked her with his tail.

"Stop!" She yelled.

Sandpaw flipped out of his nest and Prickpaw snapped awake. Bladepaw jumped back and Burrpaw flinched.

"Stop touching me." The she-cat pulled herself into a tight ball. Burrpaw withdrew his tail and backed away. "You both give me weird feelings in my stomach and I don't know what they mean, and it hurts and I don't like it. It's like I've swallowed a bunch of butterflies that can still fly, even inside of me!" Zebrapaw got that feeling when Bladepaw winked at her yesterday and whenever Burrpaw brushed his tail sympathetically over her. "My mentor that I had only said 'hello' to died by a badger attack this morning!"

The striped apprentice buried her head in her paws and continued to speak. The toms couldn't make out her muffled words.

Burrpaw and Bladepawmoved their nests farther away from Zebrapaw's. Maybe they were just giving her space, or did they think she was still a kit, a quarter moon away from being six moons? They were all still kits, for they hadn't received a single day of training. Either way, Zebrapaw fell asleep exhausted and her fur was stained with glossy tears.

She woke up with the soft touch of predawn air. Zebrapaw padded outside the den, but Denmarkflare wasn't even out of the nursery, yet. She was groggy and dazed and wandered aimlessly around, bumping into thick plant stalks and tripping over lumpy earth. Her ears pricked up when the sound of a sad sigh danced through the morning air. It was Lacepool, and she was also dazed and tired.

"Lacepool?" Zebrapaw padded over to the she-cat who was twelve moons older than her.

"Zebrapaw," she smiled.

**Thank you, Lace star, for the two cats, Jaywing, and Lacepool!**

**I do not own warriors.**

**Question: who should Zebrapaw fall in love with?**

**- Sandpaw**

**- Prickpaw**

**- Bladepaw**

**- Burrpaw**

**- Somebody else**


	6. Chapter 6

A small ceremony was held to give Zebrapaw a new mentor. Goldenfang. It was ironic, Twofur was Goldenfang's sister. Zebrapaw almost didn't want to have Goldenfang as her mentor because she was afraid that she was like bad luck and might accidently kill all of Silvertooth's family. At least the badger left their territory. A little good news for once.

Burrpaw whispered in Zebrapaw's ear, "I wanted Goldenfang as a mentor, you're so lucky!"

Zebrapaw did not feel lucky. Lacepool had said that getting Twofur was lucky. Now Twofur is dead and she's lucky for getting her sister?

"I guess. Goldenfang is really cool." She shrugged.

The first thing they did was to make up that lost day. The five apprentices waited patiently (but Prickpaw, not so patiently) for Silvertooth. Goldenfang shot Zebrapaw a smile. She noticed that Goldenfang, Silvertooth, and Twofur all had some sort of blue color for their eyes. Lacepool had her eyes blue as well.

Silvertooth trotted over, "First, we are going to tour the territory as a patrol."

They left the camp. Sandpaw kept looking over his shoulder. Zebrapaw thought he was nervous, or scared. But he would look up at his mentor, Meadowbreeze, and would continue to walk with them and not run off like it looked like he was wanting to do.

"This field is very important to Windclan. Prey runs freely here." Silvertooth pointed his paw to a tiny hare that jumped through the sea of grass.

They continued to walk. Burrpaw's sandy pelt collected burrs as they slinked through the grass. Bladepaw wasn't very graceful. He would step on the grass instead of around it. Zebrapaw was slightly smaller than the tom appentices, so she had the hardest time seeing where they were going.

The sun was still low to the earth, but the sky was its usual blue. Zebrapaw noted that Goldenfang's eyes were pale and icy, like the color of the sky above. Everyone was covered in the dew they collected from the grass. Prickpaw tripped over a twig and fell into a wet dandelion. Of course, he sneezed. The little white fluffs sprinkled in the breeze and was carried away.

Silvertooth held his tail erect, so the mentors stopped. Burrpaw nearly bumped into Bubblebounce's rear. The apprentices stopped as well. The deputy pointed to a Riverclan patrol.

At first, Zebrapaw thought they going to have a fight, but the Riverclan deputy nodded, and Silvertooth nodded. Both patrols went in opposite directions.

Goldenfang explained that no one was intruding on the other's territory, so there was no need to fight.

When they got back to camp, each pair, mentor and apprentice, went their seperate ways to train.

Goldenfang took Zebrapaw back to the hunting grounds. The field.

"Smell the air." She instructed her apprentice.

Her nose wiggled as the breeze carried along its scents, "There's something over there." She pointed her paw.

"Good, I smell it, too." Goldenfang nodded.

The mentor couched down in the grass. Zebrapaw copied her. It felt awkward and it strained her front legs. This was the rabbit hunting position. Goldenfang didn't think Zebrapaw could catch a rabbit, yet. But that's what training is for. Zebrapaw wished she had paid more attention when Specklefrost was teaching her and Honeykit basic positions and crouchs.

"Listen for rustling in the grass. When you think you know where it is, pounce." Goldenfang told her. A small breeze ruffled their fur.

Zebrapaw's ears perked, trying to pick up the sounds. Something furry brushed up against the grass. Then a pebble was moved slightly. Zebrapaw closed her eyes and tried to focus everything on her hearing. A twitch of a single whisker. The striped apprentice pounced out of hiding. Her claws were unsheathed and her eyes were narrowed. A rabbit's reflection sparkled in her cyan eyes.

Zebrapaw landed on the rabbit. She was unsure of what to do. It tried to buck her off, so she sunk her claws in its back and held on. She held on to it and rolled over, so she and the rabbit were laying on the ground. It kicked furiously. She bit its neck. It tasted different than the mice she was used to eating. It died after one more sickening squeal.

Zebrapaw's legs stopped. She hadn't realized that she had been kneading the rabbit and kicking its head. It probably would've still been alive if it weren't for those kicks that dazed and confused the poor thing.

She let go of the rabbit. Her mentor was standing over her. Goldenfang's eyes were an icy twinkle and her smile let Zebrapaw know she was impressed.

"Zebrapaw, I have never seen any cat hunt or fight like that." Goldenfang sounded proud, "I believe you have just invented a new technique."


	7. Chapter 7

Featherflame worked her paws to the bone to organize the herbs. The medicine den was a mess. The apprentices had shared a bad peice of thrush. They had developed bad stomach aches and some even had head aches. They nearly depleted her stock of chervil, feverfew, and juniper berries. The good thing was, it gave her an opportunity to organize the herbs.

Her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten in awhile. She was just too busy tending to her clan and teaching Risingpaw the ways of a medicine cat. Featherflame placed dried catmint neatly in stacks. Her tail brushed over a pile of of tansy. It scattered. She huffed and gathered it back up. Her whiskers twitched with annoyance.

Risingpaw trotted in. Her noisy steps irratated the busy medicine cat.

"I brought you some prey." Risingpaw set the food down.

"Thank you. Now please leave. I am very busy." Featherflame waved her paw and dismissed the apprentice. Her tail swooshed with irritation.

"Yes, Featherflame." Risingpaw hung her head and quietly left the den.

Finally, the medicine cat gathered all the flower buds and tucked them away. She groomed her red tabby fur. It was messy and littered with crispy leaf specks. Careful not to eat any of the herb dust, she cleaned her pelt and felt much better. Shadowclan wasn't known for their hygiene, but they were incredibly clean cats out of battle.

She picked up the prey her apprentice left. A few brown mice and a small bird. She devoured the meal hastily. Her stomach had been empty for too long. When she was finished and licking her lips, Featherflame noticed it.

A small, soft feather was neatly balancing on a pebble. It was white with black stripes. She watched it intently. It slid off the pebble and became ruffled and ugly as it settled in the dusty earth.

"Dear, Starclan. What does this mean?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Littlebranch circled around the tree. She was looking for a nice stick for Fireface, a queen to soon kit, to bite down on. After gathered a bundle of twigs, she examined them closely. She wanted Fireface to be as comfortable as possible. She had the biggest belly Thunderclan had ever seen! Either it was a big litter, or big kits. Littlebanch looked at her collected branches for one that was most fit.

She looked for a branch that wasn't too thin. One that wasn't too big for a mouth. One that was smooth with no splinters and forks. She tossed the sticks away one by one. She was left with the perfect branch that Fireface could transfer her pain into. Littlebranch picked it up into her mouth. It felt fine in her jaws, so the queen should be comfortable with this one. Then she noticed it.

The branch on its end, where it was thickest, had been stripped of its bark in rings. It looked like stripes. The stripes continued all through the stick for a mouse-tail until the rings were too thin too see.

"Starclan, what does this mean?" Littlebranch put the stick down and hurriedly grabbed the second best one and brought it back to camp. Her fur stood on end as she left the peculiar branch by the tree.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Shinystone sloshed through the water with Saltpaw. Apparently, Tuftpaw tried to catch a fish without his mentor. His leg got caught under a large stone that tumbled down the bank. Saltpaw said it may be broken.

They twosome swam furiously across the river to where the foolish apprentice was stranded. Shinystone instructed Saltpaw to find a thin, sturdy reed. Even though Saltpaw wasn't a medicine apprentice, she could still help him in this tough situation.

Shinystone told Tuftpaw that he was going to move the stone, and it might hurt him. The little tom nodded and closed his eyes tight. Shinystone knew the only way to move the stone was down towards the water, but it would crush the apprentice's paw. He set down the bindweed and prepared to push the rock. Saltpaw padded back to them. Tuftpaw, distracted by her, turned his head to see what she was carrying.

Shinystone shoved the rock with all his might. It rolled over the tom's paw and crushed it with a cruel crinkling sound. He howled in pain. The medicine tom shoved a twig in his mouth. Usually that method of pain relief was for queens, but it would be better to silence him. Mostly because Shinystone got blurry vision from his blood curdling screams.

Through whimpering, the tom allowed his medicine cat to bind his leg to the reed. Saltpaw comforted him. Shinystone did, too. He told him that he was lucky, and that he shouldn't try to do new things without his mentor.

"You'll be okay, but you have to wait here." Shinystone instructed Saltpaw to get some warriors to help carry him. An injured badger had run through the area, so it wouldn't be safe to leave him there no matter how much it might hurt him to move. Shinystone laid down by Tuftpaw and comforted him as best as he could.

The bigger tom looked down at the stone that broke the smaller tom's leg. It was a white stone with smooth seams. It was almost like it had stripes. His chest flinched when it started to roll father down the bank. It crashed into the rushing river. It didn't displace even one drop of water.

"Starclan, tell me what this means!" Shinystone whispered.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

**Those would be the other three medicine cats.**

**The four together make a 'Shiny Little Quail Feather'**


	8. Chapter 8

Zebrapaw and Goldenfang trained to perfect the Zebra Back-Kick. It would be an effective way for smaller cats to take down bigger prey.

Zebrapaw felt good that she teaching her mentor how to do it. It brought in a lot of good kill, too. They decided they would work to get it perfected and refined before they'd teach it to the others.

A plump rabbit shuffled through the grass stalks. The white she-cat with increasingly distinctive black stripes crouched down. The rabbit's nose twitched. Its ears perkedup, trying to find her hiding spot. She brushed a blade of grass out of her way. Its eyes narrowed as it saw its hunter. Before it could run away, she pounced swiftly. She didn't land on it, but it skeetered across the pebbly earth. Zebrapaw leaped onto it. She sunk her claws in and keeled over. The trick was to turn your body around so your back legs would be on its head.

She kicked the rabbit shook its head to escape her hits instead of trying to stand up or roll on top of her. She gave it a bloody bite and it died. Zebrapaw lifted her trophy n her jaws. She couldn't lift her head, though. The rabbit was as big, if not bigger, as her. She dragged it over to her mentor, who had three rabbits hanging out of her mouth by the ears.

Sproutstar had been worried that the rabbits were going to eat away the field and their territory. They had, apparently, had so many babies that Windclan couldn't keep up. There were still four times as many rabbits as there were cats. Plus, a few of the warriors have been seeming a little lazy lately. The other clans had been leaving them alone ever since they had that one the battle with Riverclan. It was the battle that forced the rivercats to bow their heads. So, yes, no action meant a little slacking off.

Goldenfang and Zebrapaw marrched proudly into camp with rabbits swinging from their jaws. The clan's health was rising since they brought in so much fresh-kill. Burrpaw was jealous of Zebrapaw. Bubblebounce hardly taught him the ways of rabbit hunting.

Lacepool and Jaywing took two of the rabbits after they'd been dropped off in the fresh-kill pile.

"What's your secret?" Jaywing asked Zebrapaw quietly.

"It's all in the paws." She chuckled lifting up her paws.

She withdrew her paws andgrinned, totally embarresed. Her paws were still bloody. Zebrapaw said goodbye to her mentor and the two young warriors. The sun was straight overhead. The green-leaf heat finally caught up to her. She was panting, sweat rolled off her whiskers. The coolness of the thicket-strewn den hardly helped cool off her and her lengthy and thick pelt.

The other apprentices were trying to cool off, too. They were having a hard time as well. Their parents had long fur, and their pelts were getting longer, too.

"A dip in Riverclan's water doesn't sound like a bad idea." Prickpaw tried to smile.

"Eh..." Bladepaw couldn't even think in the heat.

"We should just try and sleep the heat off. I saw Silvertooth acting pretty worn down, too." Burrpaw reported.

Zebrapaw nodded and slumped into her nest. The heat doused her in sleepiness. Soon, she was off into the darkness that spared her gfrom the blazing sun.

The evening cooled the clan off. Everyone started to agree that they should sleep during the day and awaken at night to prevent heat damage. Hookclaw had fainted, being an elder of course, but even Denmarkflare almost fainted. When Zebrapaw woke up, Bladepaw's nose was pressed up against her own. She backed out of her nest.

Sproutstar walked into the den, "Apprentices, wake up."

Zebrapaw looked up at her, then the toms. She poked Bladepaw with her foot and shook Burrpaw's head. Prickpaw yawned and dragged himself over to Sproutstar. Sandpaw looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"You've been training for nearly a moon now. And tonight is the Gathering. It has been very hot, are you five up to it?"

"Yes!" Four of them replied.

The five apprentices padded out of the den. The air was warm, but not overbearing. Sproutstar announced who would be going to the Gathering.

"The cats that will beaccompanying Silvertooth and I will be: Quailflight, Goldenfang, Thornslope, Meadowbreeze, Figflight, Bubblebounce, Lacepool, Jaywing, Pinknose, Fieldscent, Brittleclaw, Fallentree, Hookclaw, Gentlevoice, and Wildbreeze."

It was a smaller than usual group to go, but too many cats were weak from the heat. The other clans probably weren't having that problem.

For the first time, Zebrapaw realized that she and her sister were about seven moons old. Honeykit had never become an apprentice. Zebrapaw padded over to Denmarkflare and Specklefrost.

"I'm so proud of you, Zebrapaw!" Specklefrost licked her daughter.

"Thank you, Mother." Zebrapaw smiled, "By why isn't Honeykit an apprentice yet?"

"Your sister still hasn't learned how to behave correctly." Her father explained.

''come on, Zebrapaw! They're leaving!" Burrpaw called out to her.

The striped apprentice gave her farewells to her prideful parents. She padded across the earth that was still warm with the suns dusk rays. Silvertooth nodded, and the group trottd across the field. The grass brushed the sweat off the cats' pelts. Bladepaw and Burrpaw were having mini races. Prickpaw was being a gentletom and helped the elders keep moving.

She looked behind her. Sandpaw was gazing dreamily into Meadowbreeze's face. Jaywing and Lacepool were whispering and giggling. Come to think of it, those three warriors, plus Bubblebounce, all became warriors at the same time.

The older warriors were silent. The elders seemed to be reliving memories of past Gatherings in their minds as they traveled through the grass. Zebrapaw slowed down and motioned for Sandpaw to walk by her side.

"Do you like Meadowbreeze?" She whispered softly in his tender ear.

He seemed to flinch, "No."

"Really? Okay..." She thought it was obvious, but maybe she was mistaken?

"I love her. I'm going to ask her to be my mate when we become warriors." Sandpaw, for once, smiled. He had a beautiful smile, too.

By the time they'd be warriors, which would probably be around them being twelve or thirteen moons old, Meadowbreeze would be about twenty-five moons old. She didn't tell him that though. Sandpaw quickened his pace and caught up to Meadowbreeze. She was talking to him. He would nod and listen intently. That's what a tom should do for a she-cat.


	9. Chapter 9

The sun set completely and the moon began to rise. The apprentices didn't understand why they left so early to the Gathering, but now they do. The heat had weakened even the most fit cats of the clan. They were slow, but they were steady.

Lacepool got tired of giggling with Jaywing, so she tried talking to Zebrapaw, "I think Jaywing is going to ask me to be his mate."

"Really? Are you sure?" Zebrapaw knew it, too.

"Yes. He's been brushing against me and he talks to me so much. Bubblebounce used to do the same, but Jaywing is different." She explained.

Zebrapaw nodded, "What about Leafbabble?" Leafbabble wasn't seen much. He was always hanging around instead of hunting and fighting. Even though Silvertooth had been his mentor, that tom was unteachable. He had been the deputy's apprentice until he was seventeen moons! He was the weirdest thing that ever happened to Windclan. Unless Honeykit got apprenticed soon, she'd be even weirder.

"Zebrapaw?" The silver she-cat had an odd feeling in her voice."Why does Honeykit have a brown pelt? She looks nothing like Denmarkflare or Specklefrost!"

Zebrapaw shrugged. She didn't really know either.

Sproutstar stopped them. They waited. They continued. Lacepool shrugged her shoulders.

Eventually, everyone fell silent and focused their energy on getting to Fourtrees. Everyone looked wilted. Their paws were sore from the day's heat and the night's journey. Everyone, except Sandpaw. He didn't look like he was tired. He looked like he had beat the heat! The little tom was staring at his mentor the entire time. She didn't seem to notice, though. In act, she seemed more interested in Bubblebounce.

It seemed to be a whir. Zebrapaw knew they had all been walking for awhile, but she didn't remember most of it. They eagerly trotted up to the other cats. Despite being the clan of the swiftest cats, they were the last to arrive. The sounds of chatter filled the forest.

Sproutstar joined the other leaders. The elders padded over to long-time friends. The warriors gathered with some other clan cats. Sandpaw tried to follow Meadowbreeze. He tried to talk to her, but Bubblebounce stole her craved attention.

He walked back to his brothers and Zebrapaw looking defeated. The fiveapprentices were alone. Prickpaw tapped her with his tail. She looked at him, and he gestured to all the cats staring at her. They were staring at her stripes. Her ears started to burn.

Burrpaw wrapped his tail around her to tryand comfort and protect her from the intruding gazes.

"Hey! Everyone! It's the five new Windclan apprentices!" Someone shouted. All of them had burning ears.

The older apprentices made no move to greet them. Or any cat.

They felt unwanted. Everyone had friends from other clans. A Thunderclan apprentice trotted over. He was a dark brown tabby and he had creamy under markings. His yellow-amber eyes seemed to be hypnotized by Zebrapaw's cyan orbs.

"I'm Bramblepaw." He greeted Zebrapaw.

Bladepaw shifted around, "And I'm Bladepaw. Now leave."

Bramblepaw ignored him, "What is your name?"

"Ze-Zebrapaw..." she stuttered. He was staring too intently.

He nudged her friends away and circled her. He stopped behind her and observed her stripes.

Zebrapaw hissed. She swirled around and scratched his face with her unsheathed claws lightly. He huffed and padded away. She snorted and looked around at the other cats who were staring. They all turned away.

"Good job!" Her friends congratulated her. She ood up for her friends! That's what they thought, she was defending her stripes.

Just because they were the newesapprentices of the clans didn't mean that they could be made fun of.

Sandpaw tried to talk to Meadowbreeze again. This time a big black tom with white paw markings stopped him.

His name was Whiteclaw. He took menacing steps towards the tiny apprentice. "What do you want, little-tail?"

Sandpaw's face was blank. "..."

"Get out of here, rabbit-chaser.'' Whiteclaw waved his paws as if to dismiss him.

"..."

"Look, Meadowbreeze isn't interested in a pile of fox-dung." He spat, hating that Sandpaw was unaffected by his insults.

Sandpaw was about to turn away when Meadowbreeze dug her claws in the grass. "Now listen, Whiteclaw!" She hissed. ''He is MY apprentice! I am a Windclan warrior! And Sandpaw is the nicest, sweetest, most gentle and well-mannered tom in the forest!" All of the cats in the Gathering tried to get a glimpse of Sandpaw. Even some of the she-cats checked him out.

Some cats were saying stuff like, "Looks like Windclan got an interesting group of apprentices this season."

They looked at Sandpaw, then at the other four. When they saw Bladepaw's odd pelt, Prickpaw's handsome whiskers, Burrpaw's spotted fur, and Zebrapaw's cyan eyes, no one could take their eyes off them.

**Thank you, again, Lacestar for Jaywing and Lacepool.**

**Thanks Shadowfur1017 for Bramblepaw.**


	10. Chapter 10

The four leaders cleared their voices. All of the cats, the ones who were staring, muttering, and chatting all looked up.

Foamstar, the strong yet old leader of Riverclan, cleared his throat. ''Riverclan has been doing well. The river stills runs freely. The fish still swim. But a badger has moved into our territory.'' Zebrapaw looked down at her paws. It must be the same badger that killed Twofur. She saw the same thoughts in Goldenfang's eyes.

The fluffy white leader swished his tail in the direction of Scarletstar. Her russet fur glistened with dew in the moonlight, "The prey in Shadowclan is low. But we are still able to fight." She narrowed her eyes at a Thunderclan apprentice who must have trespassed by the way her eyes were glazed. "Where is Barkstar, Sunreed?"

"I am Sunstar now... Barkstar was killed soon after our last Gathering. He was killed by a badger..." the yellow tom who had become the new leader dipped his head. ''Anyway, Thunderclan is doing good. Our prey is plentiful and there is water to drink. A badger invaded our territory but has moved on. Two kits have been born from Fireface and Leapstorm. A she-kit named Gingerkit, and a tom named Barkkit." The clans congratulated Thunderclan and Leapstorm who sat among them. "Our new deputy is Treeshade." A little she-cat with grey fur and various darker patches twinkled with the clan's small congratulations.

When they quieted back down, Sproutstar spoke, "Windclan has been doing amazing. We have more than enough prey. We have five new apprentices,'' everyone looked at the infamous five," they are named Sandpaw, Prickpaw, Bladepaw, Burrpaw, and Zebrapaw." Some cats started to whisper about her name.

"Was she a kittypet?"

"What's a zebra?"

"She must be ugly to get a name like that!"

Zebrapaw stood up, hating the insults dearly, "I am Zebrapaw!" Everyone looked at her.

"Oh, she isn't ugly."

"My father was a kittypet. He is a warrior now! My mother is Specklefrost!" A she-cat from Shadowclan shifted around to see her better. "I was named after a mighty creature that stands taller than a lion and can run faster than the river!"

Sproutstar chuckled and returned the attention to herself, ''A badger killed Twofur a quarter moon after the last Gathering. Foamstar," she turned to the scruffy tom, "It must be the same one that's been invading the clans. Be careful." He nodded in reply. "The heat of the season has been wearing us down. But we are as fine as ever.

Sproutstar and the other leaders jumped back down to the ground. Zebrapaw's clanmates were happy that she stood up for herself.

The apprentices tried to socialize before the others began to leave. Zebrapaw padded over to Bramblepaw.

"Hi, again." She tried to sound friendly to make up earlier hostility.

"Hello." He shrugged.

Zebrapaw tilted her head. She spotted Quailflight behind him. And Littlebranch. And Featherflame. And Shinystone. All of the medicine cats were talking to one another.

"That's why we haven't left yet." She whispered to herself.

"What?" Bramblepaw got up in her face.

"Eh? Nothing!" Zebrapaw jumped back.

Her ears perked up. Burrpaw was calling her name. Bramblepaw heard it, too.

"Meet me here. In one quarter moon." Bramblepaw told her in a low voice by her ear.

"Okay, Bramblepaw." She felt scared to say no.

He nodded and padded over to his clan. His creamy underfur shown as he threw his paw in the air and brought it down on some cat's face.

"Wait! How old are you?" Zebrapaw dared to talk to him again. She turned away as he turned back to her. She didn't want him to know that she was staring at his underfur.

"Ten moons." He said to her plainly.

_Weird... I'm seven moons. Why is he interested in me? _She shook her head and turned around. A swift brush of a tail flowed from her neck to her own tail. Prickpaw's eyes met hers.

"Prickpaw!" She shivered. The feeling was so creepy.

He shrunk back and laughed. Those two toms were being so creepy...

Zebrapaw slipped through the cats to join Goldenfang. Her mentor was in a heated conversation with a white cat that was dotted with black and had light blue eyes. Zebrapaw knew it would be rude to interrupt. But she couldn't help but notice that this cat looked so much like her mother.

"Goldenfang, I do not care about my sister's kits."

"Why not? Is it because you cannot have your own, Spottedwing?" Goldenfang asked rather rudely.

Zebrapaw wanted to shout to Spottedwing. That she was her neice. That she had heard so much about her. But Spottedwing did not want to hear about Zebrapaw or hear from her, apparently.

"I can to have my own." Spottedwing's voice cracked, "I just haven't found the right tom..."

Goldenfang's eyes burned with an odd aura. Hatred? Anger? Zebrapaw looked up to the sky. At least Starclan wasn't too concerned about them. Silvertooth slinked around in the corner of her eye. He looked distraught.

"Zebrapaw!" Goldenfang shook her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Goldenfang?" The other she-cat gasped as she looked into the apprentice's eyes. They were the same ones that Specklefrost had.

"This is Zebrapaw. Your neice." Goldenfang said much nicer than before.

"Zebrapaw." The words slid off uncomfortably from Spottedwing's tongue.

Saved by the leader, Sproutstar rounded up her clanmates. Zebrapaw tried to figure out what Spottedwing was thinking as she joined her clan in departure. The cool night breeze ushered the Windclan cats back to the moors.

"In a quarter moon." Zebrapaw repeated Bramblepaw's words.

Burrpaw looked at her curiously. He shrugged it off and continued to pad through the night with Bubblebounce who talked at him nonstop.

Zebrapaw stopped thinking for awhile. She watched Jaywing brush Lacepool's pelt every few steps. She watched Goldenfang mutter words quietly to Silvertooth. Quailflight was as grumpy as ever. Prickpaw was snaking his tail over everycat's back and brushing it against their legs. Sandpaw stared, without blinking, at Meadowbreeze.

"In one quarter moon..."


	11. Chapter 11

The group of Windclan cats finally returned home. The y were fatigued from the heat of late, the encounters with friends and enemies at the Gathering, and the travel to and fro.

As the elders, deputy and leader, warriors, and apprentices retired to their respective dens, Zebrapaw was left standing alone. Her mind reeled at the recent events. The medicine cats, her mentor and her aunt, the eccentric tom, the badger...

Burrpawbrushed his yellow tail in front of her face. "Zebrapaw, are you alright?"

She couldn't find any words.

"Well, you don't seem alright." He looked into her blue eyes, trying figure out what was in her mind. "Quailflight is too grouchy to take you to him tonight. So, let me help you back to the den."

When she didn't reply, Burrpaw led her into their den where the other toms slept with loud snores accompanying them. His tail was holding her tail. His ears were hot-he never thought se would let him do that. Zebrapaw blankly followed him, her mind on Bramblepaw. The yellow tom became worried about his friend. She seemed really far off.

'She must be really tired.' Burrpaw thought to himself. He helped the dazed apprentice into his nest. The thoughts and recalling memories of the Gathering swirled in her head. Spottedwing, Sunstar, and Whiteclaw, the tom who had made a fool of himself because of Sandpaw. She laid down in his nest, and fell asleep immediately. It was her first time being able to sleep so easily.

Burrpaw chuckled and snuggled up next to her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Burrpaw woke up with a sratch on his side and a bloody ear.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Zebrapaw inhaled a rabbit. She was so embarrassed! Why did Burrpaw do that?

The striped she-cat dragged two rabbits to the nursery. She getting stronger. She used to be able to only drag one at a time.

Greymoth's kits, who were about three moons old now, cowered in the corner as Honeykit went into another blind rage.

"We need her to be apprenticed!" Specklefrost cried.

The seven moon old kit chased after the tortie kit named Figkit. Honeykit flipped almost backwards to go after Figkit's sister, Mothkit. Moth kit scrambled up on top of Denmarkflare who still hadn't moved out of the nursery.

Zebrapaw watched in horror. She realized that that kit was bigger than her. That kit was the same age as her. That kit was her sister. Honeykit, breathing heavily through her nose, turned to Zebrapaw. The blue eyes that stole her attention. Honeykit tackled her sister, trying to rip out her throat. Unfortunately for the unapprenticed kit, Zebrapaw had learned how to fight. Not very well, but good enough to pin down Honeykit and keep her down.

Zebrapaw sighed. Why did she hate everything? Not letting go of the seething kit, theapprentice happily reached out to the dropped rabbits and tossed one to her parents, and the other to Greymoth.

"That's it, Mathias. I'm going to talk to Sproutstar." Specklefrost spat. Her mate didn't object. That kit was no kit.

Zebrapaw looked at her father. He looked sad.

"Father?" She was worried what was going to happen to her sister. ''You aren't getting rid of her are you?"

"No, no, no!" Her father gasped, his kittypet overexaggeration showing. "We love both of you. Honeykit will always be a Wnd clan cat. She just hasn't matued enough t become an apprentice. But even if she stays here until she's ninety months old, she'll still won't be. Becoming an apprentice and getting a mentor should help. She was getting one sooner or later." Zebrapaw was used to his over explanations. He still used the term 'month' instead of 'moon'. "We love Honeykit.''

TheBrowne and flecked she cat stopped trying to escape her sister's paws.

The angry kit never talked anymore. "I'm ready." Her first words in moons showed maturity.

Figkit and Mothkit twirled around in happiness. No more Honeykit in the nursery! Zebrapaw looked at her sister, and this time, her yellow eyes were loving. She hopped off her sister. Greymoth seemed most happy. But how would the tom apprentices react? They were tormented by her for six moons!

Zebrapaw smiled forHoneykit. She was originally going to tell her parents about the Zebra Back-Kick. But that could wait. For her sister.

**I did make up the Zebra Back-Kick, so please do not replicate it. ^ ^ It can be used for rabbits, badgers, and cats... hint hint.**


	12. Chapter 12: GTC

Chapter: 12

-.-.-Guess That Cat-.-.-

The story has been going on for over thousands of words. You should know the cats that take place by now, eh? Even though they are all made up, it shouldn't be that hard to guess them, because I know how we all love Honeykit!

1) I'm a she-cat. I have the same color eyes as Silvertooth, Goldenfang, and Twofur, but not the same shade. I think some special tom is going to ask me to be my mate soon! Who am I?

2) I'm an old tom. I'm one of the leaders of the four clans. One of the apprentices in my clan got stuck under a rock and broke his leg. You know me?

3) I'm a small she-cat. I really like sticks.

4) I'm a tom apprentice. I like to watch other cats sleep. I love to sneak off into the warriors' den when the she-cats are asleep. Who am I? He he he...

5) I'm a tom. I'm black with white paws and I am very arrogant. You know me.

6) My name is Bladepaw! Who am... oops.

7) I'm a tom. My mate is Greymoth, and we have two kits. I'm a mentoring warrior.

8) I'm a she-cat. I'm in love with the nicest tom in the forest.I don't think he likes me like that, though... He doesn't really talk to me... Most cats will frown upon us if we ever got together... :( Who am I?

9) I'm a young she-cat. I'm kind of white and grey. My leader is Foamstar.

10) I'm a russett-furred she-cat. There isn't much prey in my clan right now... but we can still fight! Who am I?

11) I'm a member of Starclan now. My successor is to be succeeded by Treeshade. Who am I?

12) I'm a tom. Even in my elderly days, I've got the best advice on how to get a mate. Who am I?

13) As a queen, I had my paws full with those four toms. Who am I?

14) For some reason, that kit keeps pulling my fur! Literally! Nobody notices me... do you?

15) I hate my sister. I make toms uncomfortable. Like a few other cats, I have a dotted and flecked pelt. Who am I?

Whoever can get the most right will get a prize. You can give me an OC, or choose a cat already in the story, and request me to write a chapter centered around them and a situation of your choice. Post answers in the reviews, eh?


	13. Chapter 13

No more than a few minutes after Specklefrost had stormed out of the nursery, Sproutstar called a clan meeting.

Honeykit barrelled past her sister towards the sand hill where the leader stood.

Quailflight stood next to Sproutstar. Silvertooth was next to Quailflight. The big kit bounced up in front of the she-cat leader.

Zebrapaw and her father gathered around them. Soon, the rest of the clan did as well. Specklefrost finally joined her mate and kit. Honeykit was already up there, bringing embarressment to her kin.

"Is this an exile ceremony?" Ashwing, a coal-hearted and coal colored she-cat asked.

''I should go over there right now and rip out her-"

"Specklefrost!" Denmarkflare put his paw on his mate's mouth and shook his head.

The cats, noticing Honeykit's appearance, leaned in to hear their leader. But instead, it was Quailflight who spoke,"Cats of Windclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. It is time for me to take up an appretice." Murmurs of confusion spread through the wind. Honey it's nose scrunched up at the thought of being a medicine cat. "I have chosen a cat who has ambition and skill."

"Ambition and skill to be a warrior!" Specklefrost hissed softly.

"You're next medicine cat will be Honeykit."

Sproutstar even had a puzzled look. In a quavering voice, she wasn't sure she'd want Honeykit treating her wounds, asked, "Honeykit, do accept to be the apprentice of Quailflight?"

"No wa-" Honeykit stopped. She wanted to fight for blood as a warrior, but maybe treating the blood is cool, too? "I do."

"At the half-moon, you will travel to the moonstone with me to accepted by Starclan and the other medicine cats."

Zebrapaw gasped softly. Half-moon? A quarter-moon would pass in just a couple sunrises. She had nearly forgotten about Bramblepaw!

Their leader gave Honeykit her new name: Honeypaw. With each cheer, the anger of her days as a kit melted away and was lost in the breeze. Honeypaw, for the first time, hugged her sister. She wasn't trying to choke her, or bite her, or threaten her. It was just a loving hug.

Honeypaw happily padded away to the hollow where Quailflight kept the herbs. Her personality drastically changed in a fee moments on her path to become a medicine cat. Who knows what kind of warrior she'd be!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Goldenfang and Zebrapaw had forgotten about revealing the new hunting technique. They still used it of course. The prey pile was stocked full, and the clan was being almost overfed! The days weren't quite as hot. The heat became bearable.

Zebrapaw slowly got used to the battle moves. They all seemed harsh and awkward on her small body. But Goldenfang pushed her past her limits. She made her apprentice run back and forth across the moors until she wasn't able to throw a swipe at Bladepaw. Her body became strong and enduring.

.''.''.''.

Zebrapaw slumped into her nest. The gorse and thicket felt rough on her pelt, but it was all the grooming she was gonna get. Too much tackling her mentor... How could that ol' she-cat train all day and night?! The tired apprentice snuggled cozily into the pile of dry grass. The cool night settled down and the stars swirled in the clouds.

A rough tongue met her messy fur. She looked up at Burrpaw. He stopped. But she was tired, her fur was ungroomed, and she liked it. He continued. Zebrapaw felt an odd feeling in her heart.

She nearly toppled the tom as she jumped high into the air. "I am going to take a walk, Burrpaw.'

He frowned a little and he lowered hisgame to the earth. ''Okay." His eyes flicked back up to meet hers, "I-I... do you want me to come with you?"

"No thank you." Zebrapaw replied quickly.

She walked slowly to the prey pile and gulped down the smallest hare. The she-apprentice padded around the camp slowly, pretending to gaze at the gorse flowers and the shining stars.

Zebrapaw glanced over her shoulder. No one seemed to be following...

The apprentice darted off into the moors. Her paws and legs worked in perfect sequence as she sped through the night. The wind brushed her face and her whiskers bounced wildly.

Her legs began to ache. She was almost to the cover of the trees. The apprentice sunk low to the earth and slipped through the grass. Finally, she was out of the open fields and in the forest and among the trees.

She spun around. She found a worn trail of paw steps and remembered the way to Fourtrees. Zebrapaw kept thinking of Bramblepaw the whole time. And about how Bladepaw and Burrpaw were sometimes in her way.

"Hello, again." A low and serene voice broke the silence of the forest.

She whirled around. Nose to nose with Bramblepaw, she broke into a smile.

"Oh, hi." she giggled.

"Guess what Zebrapaw." He gazed into endless pool of cyan eyes.

"What?''

"I love y-" the brown tabby didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he left the awe-stricken she-cat to dangle on each word.

He wrapped his tail around hers. The tom made a note of her honey-dipped tip.

"Let's go to the gorge.'' He said.

The gorge? She had never been there. Goldenfang and the other Windclan cats warned and had forbid them to go near it. But she had a weak heart. It seemed every tom her age would snatch it away. Of course, she'd take it back each time with no hesitation. But this apprentice had stolen her heart, and she couldn't get it back.

The gorge wasn't too far from the forest... he spun her around and brushed her cheek with his tail. All giving her shivers of delight. It was too short a time that they reached the gorge.

She hadn't really thought about it, "Why are we at the gorge?"

Bramblepaw gave her mischievous smile. ''Sorry?"

All of her fluttery emotions dissolved. "Wha-"

In a flash of a brilliant set of eyes, unforgiving claws, and betrayal, Zebrapaw tumbled through the air. Bramblepaw watched her all from the cliff.

"What a waste of beautiful eyes..." he chuckled and padded off to the forest.


	14. Chapter 14

Her eyes met the stars as her claws tried to grab them. The wind in the gorge couldn't slow her fall, no matter how harsh it blew. Bramblepaw's amber eyes disappeared over the edge of the cliff. Over the edge of the cliff to where it was safe.

Zebrapaw closed her eyes. Her whiskers and fail whipped wildly as the earth and river of the gorge grew closer. An exilrating chill, not from the swift air, but from something else: she was in Starclan.

Her fur wasn't starry like the Starclan warriors were described to be. A she-cat padded towards her quickly. Patches of grey and gold stars were ruffled with worry. It was Twofur.

The star-strewn cat hastily pushed Zebrapaw backwards, "You can't die yet. Wake up!"

Zebrapaw only saw her former mentor before she could see what Starclan was like. She stumbled backwards from the strong forceful push of Twofur.

Zebrapaw opened her eyes. Then she opened her mouth. Big mistake. The water swirled around her and dragged her in the currents. Still alive? Twofur must have been mistaken. She was drowning.

Images of her sister, mother, father, and Goldenfang flashed in her eyes.

A pair of unsheathed claws grabbed her by the scruff and flung her out to the bank.

The lack of air and the shock of air knocked her out cold. The blurs of cats stood over her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Zebrapaw woke up. She wasn't by the river, or in it for that matter. She was in a den. The river's thunder was still near, though. And this den was a hole... The dens in her clan were made of gorse and woven thicket and grass.

Her right foreleg was wrapped in a string of dry algae that bound a stick to her leg to keep it straight. The den smelled odd. It wasn't Riverclan. It couldn't be the other clans.

Random plants littered the den. Small bones half-buried in the earth threatened to dig into her paws. The morning sun came from behind the den, and lit up the opposite side of the gorge.

Zebrapaw blinked. She looked around once more.

Then it came back to her.

"I came to meet with Bramblepaw. He to the led me, here, to the gorge." She began to recall. "He pushed me over the cliff... and I went to Starclan... but they woke me back up... I was in the river. Someone pulled me out...and now I'm here..."

Her heart beat rapidly increased and her breathing was heavy. She dug her claws in the ground. She went to Starclan! Even if just for a moment, she must have been dead. Most cats don't talk to Starclan in Starclan.

A small head poked around the den's entrance. The kit's eyes were wide and excited. "Mommy! It's awake!"

The scramble of paws over the rocky earth were heard. It made her panic more.

A large white she-cat with big, brown blotches appeared. She scooped the kit up and hit its rump lightly. The kit bounded away shreiking words with excitement. Zebrapaw backed up a little as the she-cat moved toward her. The shreiks of the kit sounded very feminine. Zebrapaw tried to calm down and think about anything exact for the she-cat in front of her. Like the shreiks of the kit.

More cats were coming. The she-cat rolled her eyes. Zebrapaw back up.

"I'm the one who saved you. Stop moving." She told her.

The apprentice shifted her eyes around to not meet the cat's gaze. She kept her body still.

An old she-cat walked into the den. She was a brown tabby. The kit came back in. Zebrapaw saw that she was white with brown spots like the she-cat who claims to have saved her. Another brown tabby she-cat came in. Her tail was straight and her fur was ruffled. Her ears were laid back and her eyes were threatening. A black and white tom padded in. He had narrow eyes and unsheathed claws.

She felt like passing out.

"Stay awake!" The big she-cat hit her face lightly.

Zebrapaw nodded. But the menacing cats in the den with her!

"We have a few questions for you." The old tabby croaked.

"Where ya frum?" The younger tabby asked harshly. "Were ya sent frum the clans to kill us?"

Zebrapaw mustered up the strength to reply, "No."

"Are you from the clans?" The big she-cat asked. The other cats tensed up, ready to kill if she was.

"No... I'm a loner." She lied.

"Whut's yer name?" The smaller tabby she-cat asked. If it was a clan-like name, they'd know and kill her.

"My name is... Zebra." The she-cat formerly known as Zebrapaw replied.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Silvertooth, Goldenfang, Burrpaw, Bladepaw, and Denmarkflare searched all over the moors and fields for the missing apprentice while everyone else search all the nooks of the camp.

Prickpaw was grooming himself by the prey pile. He laughed silently to himself, 'I know where you're beloved Zebrapaw is! She's in an affair with a Thunderclan apprentice. She went to meet him last night.' But he didn't tell anybody.


	15. Chapter 15

"Zebra, you are in no condition to leave our camp." The large she-cat explained.

"I guess so." Zebra lifted up her leg that was stiff with the stick. She decided that the 'camp' was the immediate area around the den where piles of bones, twigs, and tufts of fur were snug in the rocky ground.

"So, where are you from?" She asked, cleaning a messy fish.

"I'm not sure." Zebra lied. ''I kind of float around."

"So what brought you to float in our river?" The she-cat asked.

The apprentice was so embarressed, "I tripped and fell..." Even though it was a lie, it was almost as embarressing as what had really happened.

"Well, my name is Snow." Snow told her chuckling. The sun was high in the sky, and the river cast a blinding glare.

Snow, satisified with her cleaning of the limp fish, handed it to Zebra. She hooked her class in its gills and accepted it gratefully. She had never eaten fish before. Windclan and the other clans besides Riverclan didn't have the opportunity to catch and eat fish.

It was slick and shiny, unlike the fuzzy rabbits she would hunt on a daily basis. She nibbled it. But realized that would be rude in Snow's presence, so she ate it in big gulps. It was disgusting!

She swallowed it, almost choking. Zebra smiled crookedly to Snow, who appreciated it.

The small she-kit bounced on her toes to the den. Her yellow eyes were eager to see the awakened she-cat.

"Mommy! Zebra's leg is weird!" The kit screeched.

Snow sighed, "This is Shrew. She's my kit."

Shrew twirled around and batted Zebra's tail. The young tabby she-cat stormed into the den soaking wet. She was glaring at Zebra while slidinng a fish to Snow.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to Zebra?" Snow raised her brow.

"The name's Hollow." The tabby hissed.

Zebra was shot a sympathetic look from Snow, "Hollow is also one of my kits. She's Shrew's older sister."

The old tabby, noticing the voices fro the den walked in. "I'm Mouse. Snow's mother."

"Pleasure to meet you all." Zebra mewed.

"You didn't meet everyone." The black and white tom padded in. He looked a little bit like Whiteclaw. But he had a white blaze from his nose to the top of his head. He was also softer looking. "My name is Scratch."

Zebra nodded with a slight smile. Hollow and Mouse looked very first impressions told Zebra that they were opposites on the inside. Snow and Scratch seemed to be about the same. Their voices were both very... welcoming. Shrew seemed to be a little whirlwind all unique. The family resemblance from she-kit to mother and she-grand-kit to grand-mother.

"Let me tell you young cats a story." Mouse sat down by Snow.

Snow smirked at Hollow who was groaning. Scratch rolled his eyes at his sister. Shrew bounced up and down excited for a story.

"I came from Windclan. Born and raised in the moors." Mouse began. Zebra was more engaged now. Encouraged by a new pair of ears, Mouse continued. "I do not remember my parents' names. But they named me Mousekit. Then after six moons, I became Mousepaw. My mentor's name was... I believe her name was Fieldsprint." Fieldsprint was Meadowbreeze's great great grand-mother "I went to many Gatherings with my friends and clans. I met a handsome apprentice from another clan. His name was Frostpaw. We met secretly every quarter-moon after each Gathering. Then we became warriors. I was named Mousewhisper and he was named Frostfall." The elder began to whimper a little. ''I thought we loved each other. He took me to an area in the forest I had never been in. I swear he was about to ask me to be his mate. He kept asking me everything about my clan. It was very suspicious... Then he... pushed me in front of a monster."

Her grandkits looked up. She had never told this story.

"He thought I was killed. But, I wasn't. I crawled back, nearing my turn in Sta- in death." Mouse sighed. "My clan was very supiscious of me. I healed. And my kits were born. Snowkit and Sproutkit. Sproutkit looked like my mother, and Snowkit looked like Frostfall. Since I was a queen, I didn't go to the next Gathering. But Frostfall had announced my 'betrayal' to my home clan that he wasn't apart of. Then, my clan mates returned to the camp and punished me and exiled me."

"We'll never forgive them!" Hollow yowled. She had said that so many times, everytime the clans were mentioned doing something bad.

Mouse nodded. "I gave Sproutkit, who was less than a moon old, to another queen named something like Smallfoot. She had lost her kits... anyway, I set out on my own with Snowkit. I hate the clans. So, I renamed myself Mouse, and my kit, Snow." She turned to Snow and purred. "Then Snow fell in love... and now I have my wonderful grand kits!''

Snow cleared her throat. '' My mate's name was Clover. He died not that long ago... badger attack."

The three younger cats nodded in remembrance. Hollow and Scratch was her first litter. Shrew was her second.

"Wow." Zebra said.

After a few moments of silence, Mouse forced Zebra to stand. With a little bit of moaning and strain, she stood up straight and hobbled after Mouse.

The elderly she-cat shot her kin a glare that told them not follow.

The twosome were out of ear-shot, but still in sight of the den. "Zebra, you smell wonderful."

"What?" Zebra looked to the cat. ''Thank you..?"

"You smell like rabbit and the moors..." Mouse leaned in to take in the scent of the rogue apprentice.

"Uh..."

"ZebraPAW. I know you're lying." Mouse revealed her real name.

"I- I- I'm sorry!" Zebrapaw cried.

"It's fne. You are too clean to be a loner. And at such a young age." Mouse explained. "I won't tell them that you're from the clans."

"Thank you." Zebrapaw breathed.

"But even if you left us when you're better, Hollow would get more suspicious." Moise nodded. "You see, Shrew and Snow have taken a quick liking to you, and so have I. In fact, Snow already told Shrew that you'd be her new sister."

"What?!'' Zebrapaw shreiked. "How long was I asleep?"

"Oh, about a day." Mouse shrugged her scrawny shoulders. "Shrew and Snow have been missing Clover so much they can't bear it! I think that they don't feel safe, either. With Clover gone, there's less paws to hunt."

Zebra nodded. "Mouse, let me et this straight... Snow and Shrew are attatched to me becauseof Clover's death. It must have been really hard so they want me to be okay.''

"Corrcect." Mouse replied.

"And your family needs the extra paws." Zebra waited for Mouse's nod. "And Hollow and Scratch might hurt me if they found out my real life as a clan apprentice."

"Hollow is very..." Mouse struggled to find the words.

"Don't worry, I know exactly how she is. My own sister is like her." Zebra thought about Honepaw as Honeykit.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Mouse helped Zebra back up to the den. Hollow blocked Zebra's path subtly and made her trip. Her leg was screaming in pain. The she-cat looked up wanting to use the Zebra Back-Kick. Snow and Mouse dragged the tabby aside. Yowls of scolding were heard down by the river. The little kit was in the den sleeping, not worried about the fighting she-cats. Her mother was gone, possibly hunting again. Scratch paddsd towards Zebra.

The black and white tom sighed. He lifted Zebra up, who was still sprawled on the earth in pain.

"Follow me.'' He said smoothly.

He flicked his tail and walked slowly to pitch of green by the river. Zebra followed Scratch at her own pace.

Her leg was still stinging. It felt unnaturally hot, so she slid into the calm water of a small channel branching away from the rushing river. The lush greens under her felt like her old dusty nest of grass. But this felt better. Scratch watched her settle. His eyes were gold and flickering with amusement.

"So," He tried to make small talk.

"Soooo..." The conversation started out awkwardly.

"My mother is a real softy. She hates seeing cats in pain." The tom looked up to the sky.

Zebra gazed at his profile. "Oh."

He snorted. "What's your story?"

"My story?"

"Yeah. Everyone has a story." Scratch met uncomfortable stare.

The she-cat switched her eyes away from him. "Well..."

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." He nodded. "It's not about the story of where you're from. It's about who you are and what unfolds."

The tom had so much wisdom. More than the clans it seemed. It's notabout where he's from- even though he is a rogue from birth. It's about who he is- a kind and compassionate tom. But what is unfolding? Zebra thought to herself.

He scooted over to her close. The cool water lapped over their paws. "You are very brave and beautiful." Scratch said at last.

Zebrapushed him away with her tail. His eyes... they had the same shine that Burrpaw gave her. It made her sick. Homesick.


	16. Chapter 16

Snow was doing something to Zebra's leg. Her warm breath and the cool breeze from the river woke up the striped rogue.

'Am I rogue?' Zebra wondered, 'No, I'm pretending to be.'

She was already used to her short, new name.

Snow had removed the support that her leg was tied to. Zebra's cyan eyes were held by the mother's yellow ones.

A strong silence was prolonged as Snow's paw-work slowed. Shrew bounced into the den.

"Is Zebra staying forever?" The shrill squeaks asked.

Snow looked at her kit and sat down. "I don't know Shrew. Ask her your self."

The two she-cats turned their heads. "Uh..." Zebra had never even spoken to the kit. Yet she was so fond of her. "Yes, I guess."

Shrew did a back-flip and ran from the den shouting, "She's staying!"

Hollow, who never even said a word directly towards Zebra seemed to be choking as her sister ran past. The old tabby was sprawled on a rock and only flicked her ears.

Snow was chuckling, but smiling. Zebra stood up. Her leg was straining, but it felt good. It was still stiff, though. She had a light limp. Zebra walked out into the predawn light. They were early risers, too.

The black and white tom ran up to her beaming with... joy? "You're staying?"

Zebra nodded. There was no way out now.

"How old are you anyway?" An odd question was asked by the slinking Hollow.

"Seven moons." She shifted around comfortably.

''I'm sixteen moons." Hollow smirked, as if it were a comeback.

"Cool?" Zebra shifted her eyes away from the menacing gaze of the tabby.

Scratch, with moons of practice, ignored his sister. His joy seemed dampened. But he leaned into her ear and whsipers.d

* * *

Scratch's POV

He sat down by Zebra. She slept so soundly. She slept a lot, too. The den was warbed by the two cat's breath. His yellow eyes watched her stripes fall and rise tom layed down by her side. He felt love-struck by her.

The she-cat began to stir. Afraid of beng seen, he scampered out of the den. Hollow was asleep on the den. Mouse was on her favorite sunning rock like usual. Shrew was sleeling beside her. Snow was on the river's edge, swiping her claws in the cold water.

He padded the opposite direction. His paws brushed over the small patch of green softness that served as his favorite spot to sit. He sat on it. So soft... He kept his eyes on the walls of the gorge. As a kit, he always wanted to leave. Just a few moons ago, his father Clover showed him that there ws almost no way out unless they wanted to be caught by clan cats. Now, he never wanted to leave. Not his family, not his gorge, not his Zebra. He felt a little weak for falling for the she-cat n one short day.

"She's staying! She's staying!" Shrew ran out of the den.

Scratch blinked. He had been in thought so long he hadn't realized the moon had gone down. Wait- she's staying? That meant Zebra was going to stay in their family!

He ran past Hollow who was spitting mad. Zebra was stretching. Her stripes lookng as striking as when she had been rescued from the river.

"You're staying?" He asked, excitement riding in his voice.

"Yes, I suppose." The she-cat replied.

He felt like doing smething. Like lick her or put his paw over her, but his sister ruined the moment.

"How old are you?" His tabby kin asked the she-cat.

"Seven moons." Zebra replied, confused.

His heart dropped. As she really that much younger than him? Wh couldn't he tell that she was nine moons younger? He was so disappointed.

He didn't hear the awkward and short conversation between the two. He only had a few words drift into his mind. He leaned into her ear.

In a soft, warm whisper, he asked' "You promise?"

"To stay?" She whispered back,

"No, to be my mate when you're older?" The tom explained.

Zebra paused. "Yes."


	17. Chapter 17

Burrpaw twitched his legs. His tail swooshed and his breathing was rapid. Quailfeather forced him to eat thyme and poppy seeds. Both medicines were rare to their clan's territory.

Where was Zebrapaw? She had been missing for many sunrises now. He counted nearly twenty sunrises since her disappearance. The Gathering would be in a few days, so they hoped she was at least alive.

Honeypaw dug around in the herbs looking for some yarrow. He had no idea why she wanted yarrow. Wasn't that stuff supposed to make you throw up? Burrpaw shook his head. He was becoming very drowsy. In a few minutes, he was asleep.

But he had a dream. It was, of course, about Zebrapaw. She was with two tabbies. They looked like that creep tom named Bramblepaw. One was old and the other was a she-cat. Then there was a black and white tom that looked like Whiteclaw. Zebrapaw looked aged. A small kit ran around them.

Burrpaw woke up. The sound of echoes rung in his ears. He had an idea.

The cats in the dream... He was sure Bramblepaw and Whiteclaw had something to do with her disappearance.

He felt like a stupid tom for some reason, though. His heart was heavy and his mind was cloudy. Bladepaw, who Burrpaw thought that was his brother and rival for Zebrapaw's attention, turned out to not have feelings at all for her. He was still his brother... oh, his mind was jumbled.

Everyone still wondered where Zebrapaw went. The search patrols had stopped after two quarter moons. He never gave up though. And this dream gave him a clue to where she is!

He brought back a rabbit after hunting with Bubblebounce. Burrpaw yawned casually and tried to get an extra moment of sleep. When the clan had settled and the stars of Silverpelt were high in the night sky, he slipped out of camp. The apprentice stalked through the grass, pausing every few moments to pick up any traces of a at following him.

Burrpaw was confident that no cat had followed him. He sprinted towards the gorge. Where else could echoes be heard (besides Mothermouth that he had yet to go to)?

He unsheathed his claws and peered over the edge of the cliff. There was a river below. Its movement echoed across the gorge and up to Burrpaw. It was a long drop down. It made him whoozy. The apprentice stepped back, fearing that he might fall.

Now he knew why he wasn't allowed here! It was too dangerous for apprentices. But he did have a dream. He was sure it meant Zebrapaw was down there. He padded along the edge a fox length a way as to not fall. Burrpaw searched for a slope he could walk down on. His mind kept going on about Zebrapaw.

'StarClan sent me a dream of where she is.' Burrpaw thought. 'It must mean we are destined to be together!' He mused in a silly manner.

The moon was high when he finally found a slope he could walk down. His paws were sore. His mind was stressed. Without much thought, he ambeled down the slope with sleepy eyes. The rocky slope sent pebbles to tumble down to the bottom with each lazy step he took.

Burrpaw jolted to fullattention as he stepped on a loose rock that sent him tumbling down to the gorge. He plunged into the river below.

He woke up to see a cat he did not recognize. The cat was a tom with a silver tabby pelt and eyes glazed with a white film. His fur was strewn with stars.

"Stop drowning!" The tom shouted in a grumpy voice.

'What?' Burrpaw was confused. He realized that he was on his way to StarClan. He tom pushed on his chest. The apprentice stumbled backwards.

A blurry figure- no, two blurry cats stood over him.

* * *

"Where am I?" Burrpaw asked himself aloud.

He was in a den littered with bones, twigs, pebbles, and tufts of fur. The smell of fish asailed his nose. His claws unsheathed. The thought of meeting RiverClan trapped in this hole was a chilling thought. His fur was still wet from the river and his body was scored in scratchs from his tumble and fall.

The light ginger apprentice heaved himself up. His legs were stiff and sore. Burrpaw dragged himself out to the light of morning.

At first, the sound of the river made him think he was in RiverClan territory. The towering walls of red and ginger stone crafted by generations of river ripples told him otherwise. He had traveled to the gorge in the night. He started a descent into it, but he had fallen in the river. And StarClan...

A shrill shreik of a she-kit peirced his ears. He flinched and crouched down. His fur bristled as he prepared to attack whatever rogues were there.

A small white kit with dark brown splotches ran up the bank of the river towards him. Her whiskers where quivering in excitement.

"He's awake!"

To him, it sounded like an alarm or a signal. He unsheathed his claws and arched his back. He drew his ears into a tight fold. The tom bared his fangs in a challenge to the cats who would appear any moment.

The kit skidded to a halt on the rocky earth. She raised her tail and nearly tripped over her own paws as she ran for safety from the appentice.

A large cat that had a similar pelt as the kit appeard over the bank. Her tail was fluffed as she watched the tom prepare to attack.

A brown tabby she-cat flew through the air over the queen and kit She looked just like the way rogues were desribed in the stories Burrpaw was told by his elders. A torn ear and unkempt fur. Uneven whiskers and a scar here and there interupting fur lines on the pelt. A tail with a painful looking nub on the end.

Her eyes were fierce with visciousness, challenge, and fire. The she-cat was larger than him. Her rogue features made Burrpaw cower.

"Ya better run before I sli-" Her threat was interrupted by shouts of a familiar voice.

"Hey! What's going on?" A white she-cat with three black stripes on her back and a rippling ginger tail bounded up to the side of the kit.

Her blue eyes met the spitting ginger apprentice.

Zebrapaw, or Zebra, or whoever she was, pushed the tabby rogue as she ran to her friend.

"Burrpaw!" She whispered into his ear. "Pretend like you don't know me."

He nodded slightly as he lessend his thretening stance.

"Listen," Zebrapaw spoke for the other three to hear. "We saved you, so there is no need to harm us or for us to harm you."

"I see." Burrpaw played along. Though, a few hints of truth rang in her voice. "I apologize. Thank you."

Zebrapaw padded over the large she-cat. "Why didn't you tell me we had a new arrival?" She mewed.

"Well, Zebra, I thought you and Scratch would like some privacy." The she-cat chuckled.

With a hot face, the rogue apprentice swatted her companion's shoulder.

"What is your name?" The big she-cat asked.

Zebra widened her eyes and lifted up her left paw. She took one claw from her right paw and slid it aross the pad of her left.

He didn't really understand what that meant. "My name is Burrp-"

Zebrapaw flicked her tail across her throat, so he didn't say his Clan-like name. What would they do if they knew they were Clan cats when Hollow hated the Clans?

"Ha!" The white and brown she-cat laughed. "Burp? That's a rogue name if I ever heard one!"

The tabby she-cat named Hollow narrowed her eyes at the cat known as 'Burp'.

"My name is Snow." She said through laughes. "This is my kit Shrew. The feisty she-cat right there is Hollow." Snow flicked her tail to the spitting tabby. "That's my mother, Mouse." She gestured to the elderly tabby coming towards them. "Mouse and me saved you from the river."

"What's all the ruckus?" A black and white tom with rigid features and a ruggedly handsome body padded over to the group.


End file.
